What Are You Thinking?

by Dale Harcombe | More from this Blogger

11 Feb 2009 08:36 PM

'I think therefore I am,' Descartes said. The apostle Paul obviously considered a person's thought life to be important. Philippians 4:8 reminds us 'whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is anything excellence and if anything worthy of praise, let your minds dwell on these things.'

Our pastor recently suggested, 'a man is not just what he thinks he is but what he thinks about - he is.' The reality is that as our minds are transformed so are our attitudes and behavior. What we think about affects what we do. If our whole diet is TV, magazines and newspapers, and basically the world's view of life, then it will affect our attitudes and behavior.

Martin Luther said,' you can's stop a bird flying overheard but you can stop it nesting in your hair.'Sadly this doesn't happen overnight. It doesn't happen the instant we become a Christian. It happens over time as we allow the Holy Spirit to change us from the inside out.

Our brains are always active. If you've ever tried to stop your thoughts and make your mind blank, you'll realize how hard that is. The truth is our brains like to be active. So, it's important we make sure we are thinking about the right things. That's why memorizing and thinking about verses of Scripture is a helpful activity.

If you're worried or upset, try replacing those negative thoughts with images of the good and positive things in your life. If someone has hurt you instead of dwelling on that think of all the people who are your friends, who love you and have done kind things for you. Think of someone you can show kindness and God's love to. Think about God and His attributes, of love, mercy, forgiveness, compassion or think about the wonders of God's creation.

Practice these things and 'the God of peace shall be with you,' Philippians 4:9.

Bible verses from The New American Standard Version

Please Visit these related blogs

Time and the Wind and the Work of the Holy Spirit

7 Ways to Transform Your Mind

Joy and Your Brain

Overcoming Fear- Part 3

Learn more about Dale Harcombe

Dale has a passion for books and writing. She writes in various forms, from articles to poetry to fiction for children and adults.

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